


The Eagle's Flock

by ghostly_words, Kara_Eclipse



Series: 57 Ways to Solve a Case [1]
Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Don’t copy to another site, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 16:55:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17247941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostly_words/pseuds/ghostly_words, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kara_Eclipse/pseuds/Kara_Eclipse
Summary: Altair and his team just trying to stay alive and do their job even if that includes the occasional mission undercover and flirting with the medics.





	The Eagle's Flock

There was a pause as everything around him seemed to go quiet. Altair distantly noted that someone was keeping him sitting in his chair with a hand on his arm. That mattered little though as a wall seemed to descend between his thoughts and emotions leaving his mind jarringly clear and free to plan.

The facts he had were sparse, his team was captive and hurt and he was not there with them. Point of fact they were likely hurt and captive because he was not there with them. Malik would protect Kadar and Kay until he joined them though so Altair tucked that information away. Instead he tried to remember the layouts of buildings in that area of town. Getting inside would be simple, but there was a couple of small rooms and niches on the ground floor that someone could hide in. Well that would matter more once he was there, which going by the look on the Captain’s face may be a while.

Instead the Captain, everyone seemed to call the man that rather than his name to the point where Altair did the same even in his own mind, waited until Altair refocused on the room before standing. The person who held him in his chair released him and moved away while another person grabbed the strap on the back of his Kevlar vest to keep him from just slipping out of the room, probably on the Captain’s orders too.

Sure that they would relax enough he could slip out if they thought him calm Altair slowly relaxed his body into what he considered a movement ready state. The hand on the back of his vest stayed where it was though serving as a reminder that these people knew him well enough to notice him faking his calm. Strangely that helped settle him more than he expected allowing more than his vaguely formed plans to seep through the detached calm. Realizing he was walking towards a SUV following the Captain was slightly alarming though it was less so once he remembered that he trusted him to keep him and his team safe.

Seeming to see that Altair was refocusing on his surroundings the Captain nodded once to himself then spoke, “ETA is ten minutes. Altair I know you want to eliminate the threat but I would like you to leave them all alive if you possibly can. If they prove to be a greater threat than you expect do as you need to but otherwise restrain yourself.”

Altair blinked trying to process the request, it seemed odd from ones he’d received before. Why leave them alive? Then he remembered, that was his job now, to let the law punish people not to deal with them permanently himself. Remembering that he nodded slightly, he would try to do as requested. It depended on what shape his team was in as to how their captors would some out of it.

The SUV stopped not too far from the building in question. Someone tried to offer him a gun or a knife and Altair ignored them knowing that even without them he would probably be the most dangerous person in that building once he got there, and the Captain gave him a quick nod. The Captain gestured for one of the others with them to get up on a rooftop, Altair watched as he climbed the building rather sloppily. He frowned thinking that any of his team would do better regardless of their condition, even concussed with sprained ankles they’d do better... Kay could do better with a wrist sprained on top of the concussion and sprained ankle, he should know he’d seen them manage it several times.

Turning away from the cringe worthy spectacle Altair noted that of the three on the ground still aside from himself and the Captain one already was on the phone, hopefully for medics, and the other two were watching the building like it would come attack them. He nearly rolled his eyes at their behavior wondering what the Captain had been thinking bringing them along. Kadar had been more relaxed during his first week then these two were and they’d been doing this for who knew how long? The word ‘Novices’ came to mind but Altair would let Malik insult them all later, probably while he was suggesting that the Captain make at least light parkour mandatory. Satisfied with that decision Altair refocused on his mission.

Eyeing the building he noted that there were windows near the roof as he thought he’d remembered. A glance at the Captain said that things were as ready for whatever he did as they were going to be and he reminded himself to avoid falling back into the learned skills from before he’d been under the Captain’s command. With that he was off.

His feet hardly touched the ground as he shot forwards to the building then he climbed it in seconds, experience allowing him to see and grab even the smallest of hand holds as he climbed despite how long it had been since he last actively did this. Once on the roof he crouched low and slipped across it to above a window. Lowering himself to hang from the sill he opened is carefully then climbed through it.

Inside he looked around, a quick glance told him that there were three men on the level he was on and at least three on the floor below, though that would need a better angle to be sure. Silently he moved behind the guard on the same section as he was and with quick movements he knocked him out. Looking around he spotted a cupboard of some sort that he shoved the man into, insurance that the man wouldn’t regain consciousness and cause him trouble before everyone else was dealt with.

The other two guards on the level were in places they would easily see him if Altair walked over to them so he climbed up to the supports that ran across the roof and crossed to the one directly across from the first guard. Diving down he knocked the man out and tucked him into an out of the way spot as well before repeating it with the last of the guards on the top floor.

Moving closer to the edge of the floor he looked down, there was a group of four people in the middle of the room that were looking towards the door nervously. Seeing that Altair nearly snorted, these were the people who caught his team off guard? He’d seen trainees with fewer nerves then them and that was excluding Kay and Kadar. Spotting someone moving towards the group below him Altair focused on that person preparing for another dive. Climbing on the guardrail to prevent falls he waited a few more seconds before leaping down tackling the person to the ground.

The man had just enough time to give a startled sound before Altair knocked him out. Hearing the other guards, the four that were between him and the door, giving surprised cried Altair twisted moving the man he’d knocked out between himself and them knowing without looking that they had guns aimed at him. He relaxed slightly certain that they wouldn’t shoot with not with how nervous they were and definitely not with one of their allies in danger of crossfire. Seeing them hesitate he shifted the man so he wouldn’t get hurt when he let go Altair watched them move. Watching the commander of the group lower his gun and the others follow his lead Altair wondered at that level of loyalty to his men and knew that later he’d feel respect to the guy for having the same level of loyalty as Altair himself had.

Brushing that thought away, it could be focused on later, Altair released the man he’d held. As the man slid to the floor Altair darted forwards, ducking under one of the four attempting to hit him and kicking the leg of a different guard. As that one stumbled Altair grabbed their wrist turning them to face the others before giving them a hard shove. He didn’t wait for them to stumble forwards and crash into two of the other, he slipped forwards between the two of them while they were distracted. He hit the back of one man’s knee with a kick sending him off balance and causing him to fall forwards into the person stumbling towards him.

The other person he hit his arm in three places quickly to numb the limb before slipping the gun from his hand. Altair knocked him out quickly and left him sprawled over his two downed allies to prevent them from getting up.  With the gun in hand Altair almost twisted hearing gunfire, it was only the memory that his team was behind him and that he wore his vest that stopped him from doing so. A sharp hit to the vest caused him to stumble some and he staggered back a step, letting his shoulders slump forwards and his head to follow them hiding his face.

The man gave a laugh and stepped closer thinking he’d taken Altair down. With a wild smile Altair lunged forwards, closing the distance before the man could even think to bring his gun up for another shot, and he hit the man with the butt of the gun sending him to the ground on top of the other three in the middle of the room. Satisfied that they were not going to be a problem for him now Altair relaxed slightly before he heard another shot. Turning to look at his team Altair noticed another person standing behind them, someone he was sure had not been there a few moments ago. 

Taking an instant to process things Altair noted that the person’s gun was pointed at him and she was still aiming at his legs though that could change. The fact that the gun was aimed at him indicated that she wasn’t that concerned about her captives fighting back and while he had no problem with being aimed at, he preferred it really, his team not being of concern was slightly more concerning until he took in their conditions.

At a glance Kay seemed unconscious, though there was a chance that she was faking it or that she had fought them until she was knocked out. Kadar was watching him blinking slowly, probably a head wound of some sort, and his arm was hanging oddly in a way that Altair figured meant it was dislocated. Lastly was Malik who sat on his knees calmly, a faint smirk on his face. Altair felt relieved because that meant that none of them were too badly hurt, Malik wouldn’t seem so amused if any of them were.

Satisfied with his evaluation Altair looked at the woman who shot him once more. For a moment he considered various plans of action, dropping his gun and closing the distance for one but the slow spreading burn from his leg convinced him that was a bad idea, and even if he could manage it she could change her aim and shoot him again. His eyes returned to Malik, unharmed Malik who clearly continued his habit of cooperating so things would work out better. 

In hindsight it would seem as though Altair and Malik had planned this maneuver out and practiced it for years. Yet as Altair and Malik acted there was no such practice only an awareness that if they didn’t act then one of them could die. Malik moved carefully from his knees to a crouching position while the woman was focused on Altair. Then as Malik kicked out behind him Altair raised the gun and fired at the same moment that the woman did while she struggled to catch her balance. Her shot missed Altair but his shot hit her, catching her shoulder.

Once he was sure that she was indeed going down Altair activated his second sight for an instant to make sure that she was actually the last of the group. Seeing she was he darted over to where Malik was checking over the other two. Kadar smiled at him relieved to see Altair was still on his feet and moving well while Kay sat up slowly rubbing her head.

“Took you long enough Novice.” 

Altair rolled his eyes as he pulled his radio out of his pocket belatedly realizing he should have been wearing it, it was so hard to remember that more than these three were on his team sometimes, he handed it over to Malik so that the Captain could be informed that the situation was under control now. Malik took it giving him an annoyed look until he noticed the way Altair’s eyes were still fixed on the woman who shot him, catching that he took it without a word. Now sure that things would be finished quickly Altair turned his attention to the last of the group that captured his team and pinned her down before using the handcuffs he barely remembered he had to secure her hands behind her back.

Not long after he had the last of the group down and secured the door at the front opened to allow others into the building. Altair watched as the Captain and others entered, followed by two medical teams, he noted with some relief that the three on the upper level had been well placed, indicating that they weren’t completely incompetent though they had likely just managed to catch Kadar and Kay by surprise. With that piece of curiosity satisfied Altair started to untie Malik’s hands while the others dealt with the six on the ground floor. 

Hearing footsteps Altair glanced over and saw it was the Captain, no doubt wanting a situation report. Altair dropped the rope and stood, turning to face him managing not to wince as he stretched the abused muscles in his leg.

“There are three on the top floor, all unconscious, I moved them to where they wouldn’t be able to interfere. As far as I am aware there were only three of theirs that need to be checked over, the one at the top of the pile, the woman that was shot and the man in the middle of the room.”

The Captain nodded giving him a once over. Altair frowned faintly wondering what he was looking for before realizing that he was swaying a little now that the adrenaline was wearing off and blood loss was starting to sink in, the words ‘no exit wound’ danced through his mind as the medical teams started checking over the guards. The Captain gestured to the three on the ground giving them all a brief smile.

“Sit down with them before you fall down, Altair.” The Captain ordered. Altair looked blankly at him wondering what he’d missed. “You’ve earned some rest with what you did, and I will make sure things are taken care of now.”

Altair still hesitated staring at the Captain with some concern but a gentle tug on his hand convinced him to sit. As he sat Altair felt relieved that he could rest now, that his team was safe, and that everything else would be handled. Of course that’s when the realization that he’d almost killed all ten people inside the building. Oh, he knew old habits were hard to break but that was not a side of his that he wanted the three people currently behind him to see. It was almost too much to realize that now they were more aware of what he could do, that they had seen a glimmer of what he had been.

Pressing a hand over his eyes Altair wondered what sort of questions and fall out he would have to deal with. Whatever it was he hoped that the three of them would let him get in touch with his cousin first, he would need liquor and quite a bit of it to tell that story. As though responding to his thoughts his senses finally decided to return to normal, the barrage of sound seemed both too loud and too quite while he thought over how he would be answering his team’s questions and how or if they would still fit together half as well later. A hand touching the back of his neck quieted his thoughts and Altair decided to worry later once they’d been patched up.

Maria could yell at them, especially him, for recklessness and then let them all know what to watch for with everyone’s injuries, that woman was amazing and she knew they would help each other. She would also scold him to remember his surroundings when she informed them he had the worst injuries aside from the concussion Kadar had, something that Malik would probably remind him about for months. Really though Altair was fine with all of that, he decided leaning against whoever was sitting nearest, because he had done what he promised himself he would. He kept them safe, all three of them.


End file.
